Padres pick up another pitcher, acquire De La Cruz from Marlins

Eulogio De La Cruz, acquired from the Florida Marlins, has approached 100 mph with his fastball this spring. "He has a big arm and a good change-up," Padres GM Kevin Towers said.
— Doug Benc, Getty Images

Eulogio De La Cruz, acquired from the Florida Marlins, has approached 100 mph with his fastball this spring. "He has a big arm and a good change-up," Padres GM Kevin Towers said.
/ Doug Benc, Getty Images

PEORIA, Ariz. – The Padres added a power arm to their mix of pitching candidates Wednesday while Kevin Correia, penciled in as the No. 4 starter, struggled again.

The Padres acquired right-hander Eulogio De La Cruz from the Florida Marlins for a player to be named or cash considerations.

De La Cruz, who was out of options with the Marlins, has been used as a starter and a reliever during his minor league career.

Padres General Manager Kevin Towers said the 5-foot-11, 177-pound De La Cruz has a “mid-90s” fastball and people who have seen him pitch said that might be a little conservative. Marlins observers said he approached 100 mph several times this spring.

“He has a live arm,” said Padres minor league pitching consultant Bob Cluck, who was the Tigers' pitching coach when De La Cruz signed with Detroit out of the Dominican Republic.

Towers said De La Cruz would get a look as a starter as well as a reliever and probably would be a member of the Opening Day roster.

“He has a big arm and a good change-up,” Towers said.

“The reports are that he has a good power arm with good sink on his fastball,” said Padres manager Bud Black, who noted that De La Cruz “had walks in his past.”

De La Cruz worked 5 1/3 innings with the Marlins this spring, allowing two earned runs. He issued two walks while striking out six.

Last season, De La Cruz was 13-8 with a 4.34 ERA in 25 starts for Triple-A Albuquerque. He has a 13.21 ERA over 12 games (one start) in two trips to the major leagues.

De La Cruz is expected to join the Padres on Friday. By that time, the Padres will have had a look at two other recent additions to the pitching mix while getting a second look at Walter Silva, a candidate for the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

Although the Padres have Thursday off, Silva and reliever Luke Gregerson, who was acquired from St. Louis on Monday to complete the Khalil Greene trade, will pitch in a minor league game.

And starter Shawn Hill, signed by the Padres on Monday, will make his debut Friday.

Hill hopeful

The scouting report on Hill is good, with one caveat.

“I've had arm issues,” the pitcher acknowledged. “I don't know if I'm in the clear, although I think I've turned the corner.”

Hill had elbow reconstruction surgery in 2004 to repair a problem he believes began in 1999. He has had two cleansing procedures to the elbow since in addition to radial nerve decompression surgery in 2007.

The right-hander also suffered a separation to his left shoulder in 2007 while covering first base on a play at Petco Park. The forearm soreness that bothered him last year started after the injury to his left shoulder.

“Last year I couldn't throw bullpens or play catch in between starts,” said Hill, who was released by the Nationals on the date that allowed the club to avoid paying him the full season's salary.

“The timing was odd,” said Hill, who had six teams make offers.

He picked the Padres partially because former minor league teammate Chris Young praised the club's training and medical staff.

Hill said he is hopeful of stretching out to four innings before the Padres break camp.

“It might be a little bit unlikely that he could help us as a starting pitcher by the start of the season,” Black said. “But he could possibly be in the bullpen.

“Talking to people in the game, Shawn has good stuff, his stuff plays. But he's had an unfortunate run of injuries.”

Correia struggles

Correia gave up six runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings against Cleveland as his spring ERA climbed to 7.63.

But he also threw 92 pitches.

“When you feel good, and I did, you want some good results,” Correia said. “Everything is great except the results, and I'm looking for some results here.

“I'd like to get a few more innings out of 92 pitches. I've been in situations like this before.”

Said Black: “I liked the fact he got to 92 pitches and he held his stuff to the sixth inning.”

Miscellany

– Reliever Mark Worrell had reconstructive surgery on his right elbow at Scripps Clinic. Drs. Heinz Hoenecke, Jan Fronek and Dan Keefe performed the surgery, which included removal of bone chips, repair of the torn flexor muscle and reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament.

– With Thursday being a scheduled day off for the entire squad, third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff also was given Wednesday off because of what Black described as “a mild side issue.” Kouzmanoff felt a twinge in his side during his first at-bat Sunday but continued to play.